January 4, 2006 | Sex & Society

War on porn to escalate in '06

While most of the world celebrated the New Year last weekend with champagne and smooches, the U.S. Senate and its Republican leaders marked the occasion by donning armor with which to fight a fierce war on porn in 2006.

As Doug Ireland reports in the Dec. 29-Jan. 4 issue of Gay City News, Congress is positioning itself to attack free speech on film and on the Internet this year -- an election year -- with an arsenal of conservative legislation.

First on the docket is the Children's Safety Act of 2005, which purports to target child pornography, but which actually threatens legitimate sexual expression across a variety of media, including mainstream television and film.

Already passed by the House last year, the proposed law would require proof-of-age records for all actors who appear onscreen or online in "simulated" sexual activity. Current law requires such documentation only for actual sexual conduct. Violators are subject to heavy fines and up to two years' imprisonment.

Next up for the Senate, Ireland says, is an extension of an "indecency" bill championed by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). In its current form, the bill seeks to regulate radio and television broadcasts. Under Stevens' extension, it would regulate cable TV and the Internet, as well, and impose increased fines on individuals who broadcast "indecent" content -- which includes not just sexual content, according to the FCC, but also four-letter words and Howard Stern.

According  to free speech advocates, even news and sex education on the Internet could face censorship under Stevens' proposal, along with millions of private Internet users, bloggers and Web sites.

Of course, Capitol Hill won't be the only place to watch the government wreak havoc on the First Amendment this year. The courts, too, are sure to see their fair share of the action. Ireland expects one of the year's most important cases to be that brought by Florida prosecutors against Christopher Wilson, who offered free porn through his Web site, www.nowthatsfuckedup.com, to soldiers in Iraq in exchange for graphic photos of the war's casualties.

President George W. Bush and Attorney General Albert Gonzales may have placed pornography among their top targets in 2006, but they should know better than to come between horny citizens and their porn. This means war!

• War on porn steps up for 2006 [Gay City News]